Keta: The Keta Municipal Health Directorate in the Volta Region has initiated a Child Health Promotion and African Vaccination Week exercise aimed at children under five years old. The initiative is designed to bolster the immune systems of children, targeting four percent of the children's population in the region.
According to Ghana News Agency, Madam Dora Kugbonu, the Public Health Promotion Officer of the Keta Municipal Health Directorate, stated that the exercise is focused on vaccinating children against various diseases. Vitamin A supplements are being provided to children starting at six months, with doses repeated every six months until they reach five years old to support stronger childhood development.
Madam Kugbonu highlighted that the exercise includes educating lactating mothers on the importance of breastfeeding within the first hour after birth and continuing with exclusive breastfeeding until six months. The guidance extends to breastfeeding for two years and beyond, supplemented with other foods.
Parents are also being encouraged to ensure their children sleep under treated insecticide mosquito nets every night to prevent malaria and related illnesses. Regular weighing sessions for children from birth to five years are also being promoted during this exercise.
The initiative will also be used to register newborns up to one year old, providing them legal recognition as Ghanaian citizens and enabling social protection. Madam Kugbonu emphasized the importance of complete immunization before children reach two years old, to safeguard against childhood diseases.
Trained health workers in uniforms will visit communities within the municipality, conducting the exercise at various weighing centers to promote essential child health services free of charge. The public is urged to support and collaborate with health workers to ensure the success of the exercise, which is set to conclude on May 5.
The theme of the exercise is "Every Child Deserves A Healthy Future, Invest In Your Child, Attend 'Weighing' Regularly."